Ok, maybe all is right in John McLaren's world then. But yes, the big first baseman with a .200 batting average and nine home runs and 21 RBI will be back in the line-up.

Sexson last played on May 26th against Boston.

Here's the line-up
Ichiro CF
Lopez 2B
Vidro DH
Ibanez LF
Beltre 3B
Reed RF
Sexson 1B
Johjima C
Betancourt SS

You know what's frightening?

Sexson is still second on the team with nine home runs behind Adrian Beltre's 13 homers.

Here's a few of John McLaren's comments.

* Richie's back and we're going to let him play.

* During games, he's been in the cage almost the whole game hitting and working.

* We know when he hits with his capability he can really help us with his power. Three-run homers speak for themselves.

* I really haven't seen him hit. Jeff recommended a couple things to them. I am looking forward to seeing him, because I haven't seen him.

* I was well aware with the match-up with Todd Jones. What I was thinking that I wanted to give him a fresh start. He cleared his mind and worked hard and tonight he's going to get that start. I understand some people lot of talk about why we didn't use him yesterday. I'm kind of glad about that, maybe people are rallying around him just a little bit. He needs that and we need him.

As for my thoughts on yesterday's situation, I look at it like this .... Somebody else should have hit other than Cairo -- either Sexson or Balentien. Both have the ability to tie the game with one swing, Cairo does not. Cairo's optimal result still leaves the Mariners down one run. For Sexson and Balentien, their optimal result ties the game.

I liken it to the reason why I buy Mega Million tickets. The odds of me winning are pretty slim, but on the off chance that I do win, I'll be drinking mojitos on a beach in Fiji with Sophia Bush for the next six months. And it can happen, I once worked with a guy in Havre, MT, who won 47 million dollars in the power ball.

Sure it may seem like a waste of money on some level, and if I totaled up all I spent on lottery tickets, I'd probably be sick to my stomach, but I guarantee you it would be far less than the money I'd win in the lottery. As the saying goes, "you can't win if you don't play."

And that's how I feel with the pinch hit situation. Sure the odds of Sexson and Balentien homering in that situation are slim at best, but the odds are still better than Cairo homering. At least throwing either of those guys out there and letting them get their hacks, a slim possibility remains. With Cairo the possibility is basically non-existent.

It's like the all-knowing Lloyd Christmas said in Dumb and Dumber -- "So you're saying there's a chance."

With Richie or Balentien there's a chance. Not a great one, but a chance. Don't you have to take that chance? What can it hurt. It's a two-dollar lottery ticket that could pay out so much more. And if it doesn't what has changed in the situation, other than your out two bucks, or in this case a loss, which seemed probably anyways.

And on a side note, after typing this rant, I find it depressing that I'm comparing the odds of Sexson hitting a home run in one at-bat as similar to me winning the lottery.